Time is slow

   Chapter 403 The Murderer

   When several people heard this, they couldn't help looking at each other.

  Things seem to be getting more and more unexpected.

   "The village chief never mentioned this to us." Shao Mingyuan said.

  Tie Zhu sneered: "The person who said this was originally an alcoholic. He was drunk every three days. Eight of the ten sentences he said were false. No one would believe him."

  He said this, with fear in his eyes: "But I believe it! What he said was similar to what I saw, I-"

  Shao Mingyuan patted Tie Zhu's shoulder: "Brother Tie Zhu, speak slowly, don't be in a hurry. First, tell me when and how that person died?"

Tie Zhu calmed down for a while, then continued: "That person died before the imperial commissioner came. He was drunk that day and said that Xiu Niang was killed by someone. When the official came, he would tell the secret to the official. Sir, you can get a lot of reward money to buy wine and drink. The people who heard it at the time didn't take it seriously, only I knew what he said was true."

Having said this, Tie Zhu gave a miserable smile: "That's what I actually planned. As long as the government comes to investigate the fire at Qiao's house, I will take the opportunity to tell the secret to Master Guan, and maybe I will be able to avenge Xiuniang. I didn't expect that. , on the same night that the man said this, he plunged into the small ditch by the village and drowned. Others said that he had suffered because of drinking too much, but I don't believe it at all! The small ditch is no more than two feet deep, so why didn't he drown earlier and later, but he drowned just after he said those words?"

   "You suspect that he was silenced?" Shao Mingyuan asked.

Tie Zhu's tone became excited: "It must be! There must have been someone quietly watching us in the village at that time, and whoever knew something would be silenced! So when the imperial consignor came, I hesitated for a long time, but finally I didn't dare to say anything. I don't know who the person who is staring at us secretly is, let alone whether he has left, or has been..."

   Yang Houcheng smiled and said, "Brother Tie Zhu, don't be afraid now, with us, no one will hurt you!"

  Tie Zhu glanced at Shanzi and lowered his head: "I don't know if I will be killed, but I've been regretting it these days. I dreamed that Xiu Niang called me a coward and made her die..."

   Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Zhao looked at each other.

   It seems that the timing of their arrival is just right, one step earlier or one step later, maybe there will be no iron pillars.

   This is a good sign. Shao Mingyuan smiled at Qiao Zhao.

  Qiao Zhao actually understood the meaning of the other party, looked away expressionlessly, but his heart was inexplicably warm.

   "Since that's the case, Brother Tie Zhu, tell us in detail, what happened on the day of the Qiao family fire?"

   There are people in this village watching secretly. Are the people hiding in the dark still there?

"That day—" Tie Zhu closed his eyes, as if caught in a memory, "that day I thought that Xiu Niang's house was running out of water, so I quietly went over to take a look, and happened to see a tall man standing outside the courtyard door and Xiu Xiu. Mother speak."

   "What did he say?" Shao Mingyuan asked.

  Tie Zhu shook his head: "I didn't hear it. Xiu Niang and I..."

He hesitated for a moment, his dark face blushed: "I have never dared to let the villagers know about Xiuniang and I, so I usually meet very cautiously. I went to Xiuniang that day and saw someone standing outside her house. , I only dare to hide far away, and I will go forward when that person is gone."

   "You didn't ask Xiuniang who that person was and what did he say?"

   "I asked, Xiu Niang said that the person asked for directions."

   "Did he ask the Qiao family how to get there?" Qiao Zhao, who had always been quiet, suddenly asked.

Only then did Tie Zhu notice the girl sitting in the corner, he was stunned and nodded, "Yeah": "Because people often came to visit Qiao's house in the early years and asked a lot of directions, so we didn't pay attention. Xiu Niang said that she would leave immediately when she came to fetch her water at night."

   "What happened later?" Qiao Zhao asked again.

"Later—" Tie Zhu glanced at Shanzi, his face full of sadness, "I remembered that that day Shanzi would come back from the school in town, so he went to the mountain to hunt a rabbit to feed him, and when he went down the mountain, he saw that tall stranger. I thought he was weird at the time, so I couldn't help but take a few more glances."

  Qiao Zhao's hand on his lap clenched into a fist, he took a deep breath and asked, "Why do you think he's weird?"

"He changed his clothes." Tie Zhu looked at Qiao Zhao and said, "When he asked Xiuniang for directions, he wore a very ordinary gray-yellow long gown, and when he came out of Qiao's mansion, he actually changed into black clothes. Weird?"

   Qiao Zhao's eyelashes trembled.

  Are you putting on black clothes for fear of accidentally getting blood stains?

   This person is really cold-blooded and calm!

   "Did that person find you?"

Tie Zhu shook his head: "No, that person seems to be in a hurry. Plus he asked Xiu Niang to pass by, I don't really want him to see me. I waited for the person to go far before going down, I didn't expect the Qiao family Lao Gao's flames suddenly burst out from the mansion, and at that time, I roared that it was on fire, and the people from the village rushed over."

   Having said this, Tie Zhu's face became more and more ugly, and big drops of sweat rolled down from his forehead and smashed into the teacup he was holding. He didn't care, he poured a sip of bitter tea to ease the tension in his heart.

"When the fire was put out, I suddenly thought of the stranger. The more I thought about it, the more scared I became. I hurried to Axiu's house. When I ran to the door, I saw Shanzi burst out crying, saying that Axiu fell into the water tank and drowned. now..."

Speaking of this, Tie Zhu could no longer speak, he slowly squatted down and grabbed his hair, beat himself a few times, and hissed, "It's the woman I can't stand, I can't protect myself! That beast asked for directions! From now on, I should always be with Xiuniang, so Xiuniang will not be silenced by that beast!"

   "If that's the case, maybe you can't stand in front of us and say this now." Chi Can said lightly.

  Tie Zhu was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly: "It would be good if she could accompany Xiuniang to die, but if the villagers find out, it will damage her reputation."

   The man was middle-aged, but he had gray hair on his temples. He squatted on the ground with a sullen expression, and he didn't know what to think.

  The boy suddenly said: "Uncle Tie Zhu, my mother must hope that you live well, you can only avenge her when you live."

  Tie Zhu nodded: "Yes, I have to live, if I don't find that beast to avenge Xiuniang, Xiuniang will scold me for being incompetent."

  Qiao Zhao sighed softly and waited patiently for Tie Zhu to gradually recover before asking, "Brother Tie Zhu, do you still remember what that stranger looked like?"

  Shanzi couldn't help but glanced at Qiao Zhao and thought: This little girl is obviously younger than him, but she and Uncle Tiezhu are called Big Brother Tiezhu, isn't this taking advantage of him?

  The boy glanced at the general again, and vaguely understood something.

   "Remember, I remember turning into ashes!"

   "Okay, you describe it, and I'll draw it."

   Twenty-second update. For this update, I would like to thank Dongcao 1125 for the He's jade that was rewarded in January.

   (end of this chapter)